Volume 1

The family physician: being a collection of useful family remedies / [Hugh Smith].

  • Smith, Hugh, 1736?-1789
Date:
[between 1770 and 1779]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The family physician: being a collection of useful family remedies / [Hugh Smith]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/78 (page 3)
    • [3‘] a particular manner to the young and growing, and to fchofe w1k> have craving appetites, becaufe fuch food will prevent them eat¬ ing too large a quantity of flefh; and thefe vegetables being eafy of digeftion, after a full meal pafs off quickly, and leave the fto- mach more at liberty to exert its force upon that aliment which requires fo much more time and labour to digeft. I come next to fpeak of Animal-food. One general rule, which feldom fhould be tranfgreffed by the infirm, I muft beg leave to lay down: Never eat flefh more than once a day, and that at noon. The plain roaft and boiled, whether butchers meat or poultry, is far preferable to made-difhes ; there is danger to be dreaded, not only from the noxious qualities of the ingredients ufed to pre¬ pare fuch kitchen poifons, but alfo from the quantities which are devoured of them; for thefe favory fcents and taftes fo quicken the appetite, that people gorge themfelves, and regard not the dictates of nature, ever to be obferved, and which, if attended to, will always inform us when the ftomach has received a fuflicient fupply. Animal-food, which has been any confiderable time in fait, becomes hard, and requires more force to break and digeft it, proper for nourifhment, than weak ffomachs are capable of ex¬ erting ; confequently, falted beef, pork, and fuch-like things, are improper for children, invalids, and aged perfons. Notwith- ftanding what I have faid, fait is very wholefome to be eaten with flefh; and, in fome meafure, neceffary. The ftimulus which fait gives to the coats of the ftomach, makes them exert their power with greater force upon the food; and, of courfe, helps digeftion:—hence, though falted meats are improper, it is from the effect which fait has upon flefh that lies long in it; in render¬ ing it hard, and unfit for nourifhment; pot the fait itfelf, that is hurtful. Broths of all kinds, which are notfeafoned, are whole¬ fome ; broths contain the juices of the flefh they are made from, which is the part proper for nourifhmenthence, although your made, high-feafoned gravies are to be avoided, thofe gravies which run out of flefh upon cutting it after it is brought to table, are